He couldn’t hold back much longer. Couldn’t keep from speeding toward the light at the end of this intense tunnel of desire. Amelia shouted his name, her body trembling on his arms. Seconds later, he called hers, drowning out their cries with a kiss meant to worship those soft, plump lips and hopefully steal her heart.
Was it possible to love someone after only a few days? Did it make sense that he wanted to spend every day with her and only her for as long as she’d have him, and afterwards, he’d be nothing more than a husk of the man she made him become?
Daniel didn’t have any answers to his questions. Asking her wouldn’t help either. He’d have to take what little Amelia gave him and treasure these moments when she eventually left the country to go back home to her own life. Without him.
God the thought was like a knife through his chest. Though his lust was sated, his heart burned; wanting and needing things it wasn’t worthy of receiving. Especially not form a woman like Amelia. She had better things to do than keep him.
“Daniel?” She kissed a path from his chest to his throat. “Why do you keep pulling away from me?”
“Well I–”
“That’s what you did earlier, isn’t it?” The grip her legs had around his hips tightened. “When I woke up and you were standing by the window. I thought…” Her breath stuttered “…I thought maybe you regretted being with me.”
“No,” he said, raining a thousand kisses from her hairline to her throat. He kissed the furrowed knot between her brows until she relaxed; kissed away the worry from her eyes; smoothed his lips over the smooth expanse of her cheekbones. Daniel kissed her and each time his lips touched her face he soothed away the doubt.
“No, lass. No. Never.” He sighed, resting his chin on the top of her head.
It was a lie though. He had regrets, just not about being with her.
Daniel regretted the future he’d have without her. He regretted that he wasn’t enough for her. He regretted that he couldn’t give her more. Regretted that he hadn’t told her the truth about his past.
But being with her, never. He’d live out the rest of his days with the memories they made together to sustain him. Memories would have to make due. They’d have to be enough. Because hell, he wasn’t good enough for her.
“You’re amazing, Amelia,” he told her, reluctantly pulling out from her body, breaking the intense connection. “If I live to be a million years old, you’d be the only lass in my heart.”
For a moment he could believe he’d said the words out loud. Couldn’t believe he’d been such a fool to admit his feelings when he wasn’t sure of hers. How much of an eejit did that make him? Daniel sighed, cursing himself to the ends of the earth and back.
Until…
“Oh, Daniel.” Amelia trembled at his chest, her legs still wrapped tight around his waist, and she pressed a string of feverish kisses to his slippery skin.
She found her way to his mouth and latched on, thrusting her tongue alongside his. Right there in the shower beneath the hot spray, Daniel lost the battle to keep his heart intact. Regardless of the future, he knew his heart belonged to the lass in his arms, and that would never change.
After showering, Amelia called the front desk and inquired about meals. Thankfully the kitchen was open and the chef had no problem whipping up a few menu selections – especially when she offered a big tip for his efforts.
Speaking of efforts…it took a lot on her part to keep her shirt and jeans on, and not jump Daniel while they waited. She couldn’t even sit on the bed with him. Being close to the man did something to her. He turned her inside out. Made her experience sensations unlike any she’d ever dreamed of. Daniel didn’t just touch her body; he reached inside her heart, filled her with a sense of belonging she’d never known.
A knock at the door interrupted her thoughts. Amelia answered, admitting the two young women, close to her age she estimated. They placed their trays down on the small table and left, smiling too long at Daniel for her liking. Yeah, he was flipping gorgeous, but they were obviously together! She knew she was so far out of his league that they didn’t even share the same air. These girls were just being rude.
She glared until they left, then excused herself to the restroom, needing a minute to compose herself. What she really wanted was to slap those girls, to see the red in their cheeks from her hand, at their audacity.
“Are you all right in there?”
“Yeah,” she answered quickly. Too quickly.
Shaking off the jealous monster, Amelia rinsed her hands under the tap, dried them on a fluffy towel, and stepped back into the room. Daniel had taken the silver covers off the trays, revealing an assortment of breakfast and lunch foods. And, she noted, a grin creeping across her face, her new favourite dish. Chips and curry sauce.